The Godfather’s Forsaken Rose Chapter 08
I struggled hard.
“Get away from me.”
But he was stronger than I was, and he was already leaning in when the lights dimmed again.
The next second, I heard him hit the floor.
Someone dragged him away.
My heart skipped.
I recognized the man who had done it. He was Dominic’s personal bodyguard.
I looked instinctively toward Dominic.
In the darkness, I could not see his expression. I could only make out the shape of him still holding Sophia.
When the lights came back on, his face was calm, as if nothing had happened.
A cold laugh rose in my chest.
What was this supposed to be?
He protected his old flame and helped me at the same time?
How absurd.
I had no time to think about it for long. The auction soon began.
The first lot was the pile of “gifts” from Dominic that I had donated.
The starting bid was one hundred million dollars.
The room erupted.
Dominic’s gaze sharpened instantly. He narrowed his eyes in my direction, clearly recognizing the pieces.
Anyone who knew him would have understood that he was angry.
I met his gaze calmly, the corner of my mouth lifting in faint mockery.
Bids rose one after another.
Sophia tugged at Dominic’s sleeve and whispered, “Dominic, that blue diamond is beautiful. I like it.”
Dominic was silent for several seconds.
Then he raised his paddle.
In the end, he bought the entire lot for an astronomical price and gave it to Sophia, who smiled beside him like a flower in bloom.
I sneered inwardly.
In a way, had the property not returned to its rightful owner after all?
During the intermission, I went to the restroom to fix my makeup.
When I came out, Dominic was leaning against the corridor wall, smoking. Hazy smoke blurred the cold lines of his face, but it could not hide the weight of his gaze.
I planned to walk straight past him.
He caught my wrist.
“Why did you put those things up for auction?”
I did not answer. I lifted my eyes and asked instead, my tone sharp with sarcasm, “Why did you help me earlier?”
Dominic frowned slightly, about to speak.
I cut him off.
“Let me guess. Because I’m Vivian’s best friend, and she asked you to take care of me?”
I stepped closer and looked up at his stern face, my red lips curving coldly.
“Did she also ask you to manage my love life, Mr. Morello?”
Dominic pressed his fingers to his brow, as if tired.
“Isabella, you’re always covered in thorns like a hedgehog. What good does it do you?”
Good?
None.
But if I had not grown thorns, that family, and his precious Sophia, would have chewed me to the bone.
Before I could speak, Dominic continued.
“Your last man was me. Your next man shouldn’t be worse than me. That man just now wasn’t worthy of you. If you’re short on options, I can introduce someone.”
For a moment, I stared at him.
Then I laughed until tears nearly came to my eyes.
Who did he think he was?
After stabbing me in the deepest part of my heart, he still wanted to dictate my standards?
Was this possessiveness?
Or did he simply feel I had embarrassed him?
“Dominic,” I said when my laughter faded, my eyes cold and broken, “my life has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“As for men…”
My tone turned frivolous, edged with self-destruction.
“I can have as many as I want. Once I leave, the world will be wide open, and you won’t be able to control a thing.”
Dominic caught the key word at once.
“Leave?” His voice went still. “Where are you going?”
I said nothing. I ripped my hand free and turned away.
Back in my seat, all I wanted was to get through the night and leave.
But when the next lot appeared, I froze.
It was a sapphire necklace, classic and elegant.
My mother’s most cherished keepsake.
I looked sharply toward Sophia.
When I met her smug eyes, I understood.
Victor must have secretly given Sophia my mother’s things, and Sophia had actually placed one of them into a public auction.
I sat back down, forced myself to stay calm, and joined the bidding.
I could not let my mother’s necklace fall into anyone else’s hands.
After several fierce rounds, I finally won it for several times its market value.
I had just breathed out and was about to go onstage to receive it when Sophia suddenly stood.
“Wait,” she said gently, malice clear beneath the softness. “I’m sorry, there has been a mistake. I didn’t mean to submit this necklace for auction. It is part of my personal collection and was mixed in accidentally.”
With that, she took the necklace, gave me a victorious smile, and walked out.
I chased after her and stopped her outside the club.
“Sophia, give me back the necklace. I’ll pay whatever you want.”
Sophia toyed with the necklace in her hand and smiled viciously.
“I’m not short on money.”
She walked to the artificial lake nearby and glanced at the dark, murky water.
“Don’t you love being beautiful? Don’t you love being proud? If you want it, go get it yourself.”
Then she lifted her hand and threw the necklace into the lake.
Without hesitation, under the shocked stares and whispers around us, I jumped into the cold water.
I groped desperately through the mud. The filthy water ruined my expensive dress and destroyed my makeup.
Dominic came out after finishing his cigarette and saw me there.